Sr. Director, International - Operations

About Us
Comfrt is one of the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brands, dedicated to blending mental wellness, inclusivity, and elevated comfort into every piece we create. Our mission goes beyond clothing — we strive to build a community where everyone feels supported and seen.
About the Role
The Sr Director, International leads the strategy, execution, and optimization of Comfrt's international operations across all non US markets, ensuring every customer receives a seamless, on brand experience regardless of geography. This role owns international fulfillment, cross border freight, duties and compliance, carrier performance, and market expansion readiness, partnering across Operations, CX, Finance, and Tech to unlock profitable growth in Canada, UK/EU, APAC, and new markets. By translating global complexity into structured, scalable playbooks, this role directly supports revenue growth, margin protection, and long term customer loyalty outside of the US.
Organisational Contribution & Influence

The Sr Director, International serves as the connective tissue between US HQ and Comfrt's international 3PL, freight, and carrier network. This role partners closely with DC Operations, CX, Planning, Finance, Tech, and Legal/Compliance to ensure SLAs, landed cost, duties, and brand standards are upheld in every market we ship to. By maintaining strong visibility across international KPIs and providing timely, structured updates to leadership, this role drives alignment on priorities, surfaces risks early, and ensures customer feedback and market nuances are integrated into operational decisions. Through consistent communication and cross functional leadership, the position reinforces a culture of global consistency, operational excellence, and customer first thinking that extends beyond any single region.
 

Key Responsibilities

1. International Operations Strategy & Execution (30%)

• Own the end to end international operations strategy across fulfillment, freight, duties, and returns for all non US markets.
• Define and manage SLAs, cost to serve targets, and service standards by market aligned to business goals.
• Build and maintain international playbooks that enable scale, consistency, and structured execution across regions.
• Drive readiness for new market launches, including 3PL selection, carrier negotiation, routing, tax/duty setup, and go live planning.

2. 3PL, Freight & Carrier Management (25%)

• Manage international 3PL and freight partners, holding them accountable to contracted SLAs, KPIs, and quality standards.
• Lead carrier selection, RFPs, rate negotiations, and ongoing performance reviews to optimize speed, cost, and customer experience.
• Oversee cross border freight lanes, middle mile consolidation, and last-mile partner performance across key regions.
• Create contingency plans for peak, weather, and geopolitical disruptions to ensure consistent delivery performance.

3. Compliance, Duties & Landed Cost (15%)

• Own DDP vs DDU strategy, HS code accuracy, and duty/tax compliance across all shipping regions in partnership with Finance and Freight teams.
• Partner with Tech and Finance to ensure accurate duty calculation at checkout and minimize post-purchase surprises for customers.
• Monitor regulatory changes (e.g., de minimis, VAT/IOSS, import rules) and adapt processes proactively.
• Own landed cost modeling, identifying margin opportunities and cost leakage across markets.

4. Cross Functional Collaboration & Alignment (15%)

• Partner with CX, Planning, Merchandising, Marketing, and Tech to align international priorities with company initiatives.
• Represent international ops in strategic planning, promotional calendars, and cross-departmental projects.
• Provide timely, structured communication and reporting across stakeholders and leadership.

5. Data, Reporting & Insight (10%)

• Analyze shipping cost, on-time delivery, cancellation, and returns metrics by market to identify trends and opportunities.
• Partner with reporting teams to produce actionable dashboards and insights for leadership.
• Translate data into structured reporting frameworks that inform market level decisions and investment.
• Own the cadence and communication of international ops reporting to executive leadership.

6. Team Leadership & Development (5%)

• Lead, coach, and develop the international ops team, fostering accountability and continuous improvement.
• Build succession planning and skills development to maintain high performance across regions.
• Organize team structures, meeting cadences, and coverage plans to maximize productivity across time zones.

Skills & Experience

• Min 7+ years of progressive experience in international ecommerce operations, global logistics, cross-border freight, or supply chain.
• Proven track record leading international 3PL, carrier, and freight partner relationships at scale.
• Deep understanding of cross border duties, taxes (VAT/IOSS), customs, and DDP/DDU strategy.
• Experience launching new international markets end to end (systems, carriers, compliance, launch planning).
• Strong commercial acumen with experience owning landed cost, cost to serve, and margin levers.
• Advanced proficiency with Excel/Sheets; comfort with BI tools (Looker, Tableau, Power BI) and OMS/WMS platforms.
• Experience working in a high growth ecommerce or retail environment; Shopify experience a plus.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development skills with a track record of building high performing global teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence across regions and time zones.

Qualities & Attributes

• Global minded operator who can balance big picture strategy with day to day execution.
• Structured thinker who turns ambiguity into repeatable playbooks.
• Data driven decision maker who uses insight to guide investment and prioritization.
• Strong commercial instincts and comfortable owning P&L impacting decisions.
• Calm under pressure, especially during peak trade periods and cross border disruptions.
• Proactive problem solver who anticipates risks before they impact the customer.
• Collaborative partner who builds trust quickly across regions, functions, and partners.